The number of foreign tourists visiting Taiwan is expected to increase to 2.1 million by the end of this quarter in a sign of the tourism sector’s recovery from COVID-19 pandemic doldrums, the Tourism Administration said yesterday.
Overall, tourism had a promising start in the first month of the year, reporting a 10.36 percent uptick in growth compared with the same month last year, a spokesperson said, citing immigration data.
This put the national target of attracting 10 million foreign visitors by the close of the year back in the government’s sights, they said.
Photo courtesy of the Tainan City Bureau of Tourism
Taiwan in January logged 650,000 international travelers, equivalent to 75 percent of the number in January 2019, the year before COVID-19’s global outbreak, they said.
Regions being targeted by the agency’s policies staged a stronger comeback as evidenced by the number of visitors hailing from North America and South Korea in January, which marked an increase to the figure from January 2019, they said.
Tourists from other priority markets in January reached 90 percent of their number before the pandemic, they said.
Since last year, Japanese and South Korean nationals amounted to 30 percent of the nation’s visitors and another 30 percent was accounted for by Southeast Asia and India, they said.
Tourists from the West — a growing market for Taiwanese tourism — as well as Hong Kong and Macau, accounted for the remaining 40 percent, the spokesperson said.
Taiwan’s success with Western tourists could be attributed to the agency’s policies including negotiating with United Airlines to open new flight routes, and opening tourism information centers in Paris, Vancouver and other major cities, the spokesperson said.
As a result, the number of US and Canadian nationals who visited Taiwan in January increased by 16.12 percent compared with the same month in 2019, they said.
The number of European tourists was up 11.17 percent compared with the same period in 2019 in a notable breakthrough for the tourism sector, they said.
The agency has invested heavily in promoting Taiwan’s image in South Korea, resulting in a near total recovery of tourism from that nation to pre-pandemic levels, they said.
The number of Japanese tourists visiting Taiwan last year was 64.78 percent of what it had been before COVID-19, they said.
The slump in Japanese consumer spending triggered by inflation was largely to blame for the tourism sector’s sluggish performance in that market, the spokesperson said.
The agency is promoting tourism in Taiwan via private sector partnerships and taking part in festivals in a bid to raise the nation’s profile, they said.
The short flight times between Taiwan and Japan, and comparatively low price point are potential assets for drawing in Japanese tourists, they said.
The Ministry of Finance this afternoon announced the winning numbers for the March-April uniform invoice lottery. The winning number for the NT$10 million (US$318,060) special prize is 19531471, and the winning number for the NT$2 million grand prize is 85941329. Three numbers were drawn for the NT$200,000 first prize: 07225810, 20231230 and 83518781. Those with receipts matching the last seven digits of any of the first-prize numbers will win the NT$40,000 second prize, while those matching the last six digits will win the NT$10,000 third prize. Those whose receipts match the last five digits of the first-prize numbers can claim the NT$4,000 fourth prize,
SIX SUBSIDIES: The monthly allowance for older farmers is to increase to NT$10,000, and NT$5,000 is to be given to homemakers under the national pension system, Lai said The government is to implement major welfare policies for disadvantaged groups, including raising the monthly allowance for older farmers to NT$10,000 and providing homemakers with NT$5,000 per month, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday. Lai made the remarks during a visit to Wangling Temple in Chiayi County, saying that the planned increases were being introduced amid economic growth and an increase in tax revenue. Touting a policy, in which the government plans to provide a monthly allowance of NT$5,000 for every child under the age of 18 in a bid to address Taiwan’s low birthrate, Lai said that if received for the
STAY COOL: The HPA recommended that people stay hydrated, use air-conditioning or fans while indoors, wear loose-fitting clothes and walk in the shade while outdoors Employers must implement measures such as installing cooling equipment, and providing drinking water and rest breaks for outdoor workers starting from Monday next week, the Taipei Department of Labor said on Sunday. Employers who fail to comply could face fines of NT$30,000 to NT$300,000 under the Occupational Safety and Health Act (職業安全衛生法), the department said. Businesses in Taipei employing fewer than 100 workers, as well as registered self-employed workers with labor insurance coverage, could receive on-site assessments and guidance from occupational safety consultants to help them apply for central government subsidies to implement or improve heat-protection measures, it said. Under the Ministry of
ISOLATION: The outposts would serve as support and backup bases, forcing US forces to either face China head-on or reroute, increasing travel time and operational costs China’s outposts in the South China Sea could be used to delay and constrain foreign forces during a conflict in the Taiwan Strait, giving Beijing a critical window to carry out amphibious landing and blockade operations, a report said. The Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) forward operating bases on islands and reclaimed features in the South China Sea could delay foreign forces long enough for the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) to secure a key 48-to-72-hour window in the Taiwan Strait, a report commissioned by the Mainland Affairs Council found. The report, conducted by the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, examined
RSS